However there seems to be too many people that have jumped on the HUD bandwagon because of how easy it is to submit offers and track progress without the help of a real estate agent, and because they hear that HUD homes are the best deals around. 

I'm just curious how popular the town is.

Student housing is our most popular real estate investment strategy here

I will try to keep everyone updated on the progress

There is a reason WLI can be popular in insurance circles, but it has nothing to do with the performance of the policy, but the commission on the plan.

There's a lot of research you could do on VRBO/AirBNB/AirDNA to compare similar properties in terms of rates and occupancy, but my experience is that Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are more popular because of the nearby amenities, nightlight, recreation, and other things to do. 

Yup you would, It is nike.Now look at this graph.The reviews tap is in between the how it works and the our company tab.It is not the most popular tab.

Some popular ones often mentioned as the best renters insurance companies include Lemonade, State Farm, and Allstate.

Some of my tenants do an epayment, Venmo being my most popular one.

Short-term rentals would be the way to go but you won't get a license in the most popular areas.